Group 1 success for Hong Kong breeder

November 17, 2010

The owner of the group one New Zealand Bloodstock 1000 Guineas winner King's Rose (Redoute's Choice-Nureyev's Girl), Dr Gene Tsoi, has had a long and successful association with racing and breeding in the Southern Hemisphere.

His latest group one winner is a testament to his faith and commitment to the industry in this part of the world and the astute management of Marcus Corban, who looks after the bloodstock interests of the Hong Kong based doctor.

According to Marcus Corban, who is also the General Manager of Cambridge Stud, King's Rose's win in the group one event was a welcome bonus for having to withdraw the Redoute's Choice filly from the Sydney Easter Sale in 2008.

"We had her down to sell at the Sydney Easter sale, but the stud that was taking her to the sale wasn't happy with the way she was shaping up so they sent her home. We didn't have a lot of choice so we sent her to Te Akau Stables, and they have done a wonderful job with her, especially getting her to win a group one race at only her third start this season."

It was a well orchestrated plan by the team at Te Akau, King's Rose won her first start at two in October last year beating the eventual group one 2000 Guineas winner Jimmy Choux. She was then put aside until the late summer where she was placed fifth in the group two Matamata Breeders Stakes, and the group one Manawatu Sires Produce Stakes, and seventh in the group one Diamond Stakes.

Following a brief spell she was moved to Te Akau's base in the South Island base in June and made her first appearance on southern soil in late September when she finished second in a three-year-old 1200 metre event. In mid October she trounced a good field of three-year-olds in the listed Ray Coupland Stakes at Ashburton over 1400 metres, and was not seen again for another month until her appearance in the 1000 Guineas.

In winning the 1000 Guineas, King's Rose became the 19th group one winner for her sire Redoute's Choice and his second group 1 winner in New Zealand after Redoute's Dancer won the 2007 NZ Derby.

King's Rose is the second foal produced by Nureyev's Girl (Nureyev- Lakab by Manila). Her first foal is One Cool Family by One Cool Cat who, with two wins under his belt, is just starting to hit his straps now.

"She has a magnificent Red Ransom yearling colt that is in the Cambridge Stud draft at Karaka Premier this summer and she is due to foal to Fastnet Rock and will then visit Commands," said Marcus who has been managing Dr Tsoi's bloodstock interests for around 15 years.

"She is a lovely mare, I bought her as a weanling and she cost $600,000 David Hayes trained her to win three races and she ran third in the listed Stuart Crystal Stakes. She is a sister to European Rose, a stakes winner in America and a half sister to Roanoak (Danehill) a stakes winner in Sydney. Lakabi – the dam of the US multiple stakes winner Coronado Rose (Coronado's Quest) and Great Notice the dam of Gybe (Flying Spur) the 2009 AJC Gimcrack Stakes winner are also full sisters to Nureyev's Girl.

"Dr Tsoi has around twelve blue chip mares like Nureyev's Girl based in Australasia. About six reside at Cambridge Stud and the others are in the Hunter Valley, including his sensational former race mare Elegant Fashion."

Elegant Fashion (Danewin-Wily Trick), selected as a yearling by Corban, was the winner of eight races in Australia and Hong Kong. In 2003 when she won the Hong Kong Derby she was the first filly to do so in 27 years. Before heading to Hong Kong she raced in Australia where she won three group two events - the Angus Armanasco Stakes, the Moonee Valley Oaks and the Kewney Stakes. Once in Hong Kong she also won the Hong Kong International Cup Trial and the Hong Kong Chairman's Trophy.

At stud she has left four fillies - Dezign (by Zabeel), Queen's Fashion (by Encosta De Lago) a two-year-old by Fusaichi Pegasus and a foal by Street Cry. She is currently under service to Street Cry. Queen's Fashion has been a winner at Bendigo this season.

"We plan all the matings together, and we seem to have similar ideas. King's Rose is inbred to Northern Dancer 4 x 3 through his sons Danzig and Nureyev. Off the top of my head we currently have mares in foal to Zabeel, Fastnet Rock, High Chaparral, and Street Cry - it's a pretty eclectic mix," he said.

Each year Dr Tsoi tends to sell his colts and keep his fillies to race in his familiar violet and rose colours, both here and across the Tasman. He has been known to race the odd good colt as well including Seascay, Viking Ruler and Mouawad.